(WWJ) A Michigan jail inmate is back behind bars after he escaped through a propped door and was tracked through a swamp on Monday.
According to the Crawford County Sheriff's Office, Casey Jo Helsel escaped from the Crawford County Jail at approximately 130 p.m. on Monday.
Yesterday, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Michigan State Police (MSP) in locating an inmate who escaped from the Crawford County Jail. MSP helicopter “Trooper 3” used its forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera to locate the suspect hiding beneath logs and debris in the woods near the Grayling Country Club. The aerial team guided troopers and officers on the ground to the suspect’s location, where he was safely taken into custody. MSP resources involved in the search included the Aviation Unit, Canine Unit, Emergency Support Team, Houghton Lake Post, Gaylord Post, Traverse City Post, Seventh District Fugitive Team, and STING detectives. Great work by all who worked together to safely take the suspect into custody.
— MSP Seventh District (@mspnorthernmi) October 27, 2026
Officials said he stripped is orange jail jumpsuit and ran off in a white t-shirt and undershorts into a swampy, wooded area behind the Grayling Country Club.
Several law enforcement agencies responded, and assisted the sheriff's office in searching for Helsel.
Michigan State Police troopers, using a helicopter with an infrared (FLIR) camera, were able to point point the suspect's location, hiding beneath logs and debris in the woods.
The MSP Seventh District said the aerial team guided troopers and officers on the ground to the Helsel, where he was taken into custody without incident.
Casie Jo Helsel
Credit: Crawford County Sheriff’s Office
MSP' Aviation Unit, Canine Unit, Emergency Support Team, Houghton Lake Post, Gaylord Post, Traverse City Post, Seventh District Fugitive Team, and STING detectives were all involved in the operation.
"Great work by all who worked together to safely take the suspect into custody," MSP said.
As for how he escarped, Crawford County Sheriff Ryan Swope said during a news conference that a door was left propped open by a jail worker. He said that it's a door commonly used by people working for and with the jail to move items inside and outside of the facility, adding that it was a mistaken or accident, and that no one is believed to have intended to help Helsel escape.
Michigan Department of Corrections records show Helsel's criminal history includes fleeing, resisting and obstructing police, larceny in a building, drug possession, and auto theft.
